Lubricating apparatus



Sept. 22, 1931. c. B. PIERCE r-:TAL 1,824,364

LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed'July 9. 192s 2 sheets-'sheet 1 Sept. 22, 1931. c. B. PIERCE "E'AL LUBRICATING APPRATUS Filed July 9. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @LZ J A@ A Patented Sept. 22, 1931 Yetmztroiv BELKNAP Pinnen AND WILLIAM comme PIERYcn for carcasa; I'Ltnvors LUBRICATING AIPIARATUS applicati@ medivuly e, was.y serial Nofzaraze.

This invention ,relates to lubricating apparatus for internal combustion engines, and the main objects of this invention are to pros vide' al direct supply of lubricant tothe mov-` 6 ing parts of anengine which are exposed t the heat of combustion and fnormallyjare' not properly served by the lubricant in the crank case, and to `provide improved means a; for effectively injecting a supply o f lubria cant with each charge of fuel. A further object offthis invention is to provide an improved formv of'lubricating apparatus hav-v ing visual means for indicating a shortage of lubricant when the engine isynot in operation and for indicating any improper' perfformancewhenthc @engine is running! i These objects arefaccomplished in the device shown in the drawings by employing,

- the Avacuum in the manifold of an engineto draw air through a quantity of lubricant andr to inject lthe vapor absorbed and mixed with the air into the combustion chamber together with thefuel.N Y. f

Inthe accompanying drawings, we have illust-rated a'speciiicV embodiment of our inventiondesigned for use on automotive engines.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of our invention showing the same mounted on the 1- manifold and riser ofa well known make yof 0motor. I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a lcentral section-:taken on the line 3-.3 of Fig. 1'.

Fig 4 isa fragmentary section taken on the 1ine440fFig,3; y

A Fig.' 5 is av horizontal section taken on the line 5 5 ofFig. y3,'and

Fig. 61's a detail of a check valve. Intheformshownanr oil reservoir or casinglO preferably'madeofmetal such as an aluminum alloy is mounted on the exhaust 4heating jacketof a riser11 whichxis attached Lat its upper end to a manifold 12 and at itslower endtoa carbureter 13 of an internal combustion engine.l The casing 10 is formed with an inwardly concaved rear wall ltgwhich isheld in spaced relation to the surface of the riser 1l bylugsor projections 15V integral 'with ,the casing.; The

0' projections `15 are suitably'positioned for ,of the reservoir.-

sidelltfof the casing at adesireddistance from the surface of the. riser toV prevent the lubricantin the reservoir from being overheated and are propor- 4 tioned .to conduct a"desired-amount of yheat, for vaporizing th'e'oil under normalQcon-vv ditions. lThe reservoirlO,isffirmlygclamped f on the riser by U-shapedstraps 16 Vthreaded at their ends, extended throughy apertures in holding the concaved brackets, 17 integral with; the casing *wallsy 6o and havingnuts18-thereon." A As illustrated inV Figs'. 3 and 5. the outer wall iscurved inwardly at .its middlefpor- 'tion forming a semi-cylindrical'recess 19 having a top end vclosure 20`immediately bee 165 low the upperextremityf ofthe casing10l anda bottom wall 21 spaced slightly above. the `bottom l22 ofthe casing. Vertically ex-A tending cylindrical apertures, 2 3 and 24 y are Iformed in thevupp'er and lower walls 2 0 7b and 21 respectively of therecess 19. -A`traiis parent `tube 25, preferably glass, ismounted at its'extremities in the apertures 23v va`nd24, and the lp'assagejof the. tube'communicates with an opening 26 in the bottom wall 21 of 75 the recess 19. A horizontal inlet passage 27,- connects the a erture 23'With the atmosphere. The passage 2 extends inwardly beyond the aperture 23andhas a constricted by-pass 28 I atlits innerextremity which opens into-a so;

recess 51,kcommunicative with the interior- A check valve is provided to preventescapement of airthroughthe inlet yopening' y when aback pressure greaterv than ,atmosf *pheric pressure exists Vin the casing.` The.V

valve comprises an nipple l53, threadedin a l boss 54 on theside of thecasing 10.' A valve seat 55 `is provided intheinipple for "receiv-l ing the cone shaped extremity of the 'valve 90 stein 56. The intermediateportion ofthe 'valve stem 56 is of rectangular cross-sectio-1'iv and its inner extremityisconcaved 'forming projections 57, which engage the wall v10 of the casing and-preventthefinner extremity of the stem from closing thefopening 27. n Y When'the :pressure in the casing is lessthan that 'of the atmosphere it Vassumes the inner position shown in Figs. 3 and 6, therebeingan` unobstructed passage for air'between the cy- 100 lindrical wall of the nipple vand the sides of the valve stem. When a back pressure exists f the valve stem 56 is moved outwardy and its the reservoir by screws 33;' lVasher gaskets 35 and 36 `are positioned in the apertures 23 and'24 adjacent the top and bottom extremities respectively yof the tube 25 and these washers are Acompressed against the ends of the atubeb'y a helical vspring 34111 the top aperture 23. Then the `cover 31 is clamped on theupperze'ndV kof the reservoir it compresses thespring34'formin'goiland air tight joints at the extremities of the tube 25.

VThe cover '31V is `.provided vwith an outlet passage 37 through which Aair and oil vapor may flow under regulation of the valve 38. This valve fis threaded'in a block 39 Aintegral w'itl-i'the'coverV 31 and may be Lpositioned relative to the valve seat 40 for regulating the flow of vapor from thereservoir. The vapor passes upwardly through the outlet passage 37 and into ga lcommunicating discharge passage 41 in the block A tube 42, is a tached to the block 39 by ascrew plug 43 in the discharge passage 4l. Asfshownin Fig. 2, the

otherend of the copper tube 42 is connected with the manifold 12 at the'aperture therein which normally receives'the vacuum tank exhausting tube 44.V A special coupling comprising an elbow 45 is employed for'attaching reduced to a desired extent .by incoming air heat conducted thereto from the manifold 12.

both the vacuum tank exhausting tube 44 and the tube 42 to the manifold at the one aperture.' v

The reservoir 10 lmay be partially lil-led with oil throughfthe filling opening 46 which is normally cle-sed by a threadedfplug 47. Vhen the engine is in yoperati'on'air is sucked up from the space above ,the oil level in the reservoir and discharged linto the manifold l 12. '.Thisaction causes apartial vacuum to be created above .the level of the Y oil which is from ,theqby-pass aperture 28,1, When the levelof the o 'il inthe freservoirrisfes, the level of that in the gauge tube 25 is lowered suliicientlyto permit lair'` to flow into the reservoir at ,theV bottom'thereof.-` This` incoming air bubbles upwardly ,through the foil absorbing a charge of vaper which is facilitated b v the The air isguided upwardly throughthe oil to the outlet opening 37 byl a curvedr baille 49 attached to the upper 'endcf the reservo-ir 1() b y `alla-nge ,5,0 positionedbetween the seat'30 and the gasket- 32. The air from the by-pass 28 flows into the annular recess 51 and passes around the balile 49 into the open side thereof to the space below the discharge opening 37 where it mixes with the oil vapor. The partial vacuum above the oil level in the reservoir when the engine is in operation aids the vaporization of the oil. The `agitation of the oil by 'the movements of the vehicle is another factor Ywhich contributes to rapid vaporization. The jet of air admitted bythe constricted aperture 28 dilutes the mixture of air .andoil vaporsufciently to facilitate an even distribution of the oil'vapor to the combuslioichamber ofthe engine together with the Y This method of 'lubrication applies oil directly Ato the 'vital parts of the top portion of the motcrwhich ordinarily arevnot prop.- erly vlubricated'by the oil Afrom the crank case.l As the Vflow of the oil vapor is pro-` portional to-the suction inthe manifold, there isan increased supply of vapor to the top' of the motor at slow speedroperation which compensates for the shortage normally existing when the crank shaft and connecting i rods are rotating too slowlyto throw oil from the crank case `to the cylinder walls. When/the Vengine is not in operation the oil in the reservoir 10 and that in the' tube 25 seek an equal vlevel thus disclosing the quantity of oil in the reserviorwbut when the engine is running theA oil` is Yremoved from Athe gauge 4tube yindicating that the lulpricating apparatus is functioning proper f. .Y Y Y l VAlthough but oney specific embodiment of this invention has been'herein shown and described, it is to be understood that numerous details ofthe construction shown may be altered or omitted Vwithout departing fromthe spiritof this invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In lubricating apparatus 'for internal combustion engines, an oil reservoir comprising aV casing having an air inlet aperture therein, spacing lugs on said casing for mounting the same in spaced relation to a heat radiating surfacey forheating the oil therein, an end closure on said casing com-v prising an outlet opening, valve mechanism .for regulating the size of said opening, a

conduit communicating vwith said outlet opening at .one end and with the intake mansaid reservoir when the engine is not in use.

2. In an internal combustion engine comprising a manifold and a riser communicative therewith, a casing adapted to contain lubricant comprising a concaved 4wall positioned e adjacent said riser, pins on said concaved wall for holding the casing in spaced relation to said riser, and means associated with said casing for circulating air through V said lubricant comprisinga conduit comf municative with said manifold for injecting lubricant vapor intok the top of said engine.

3. In an internal combustion engine comprising a manifold anda riser communicative therewith, a casing adapted to contain lubricant comprising a concaved wall positioned adjacent said riser, pins on said concaved wall for holding the casing in spaced relation to said riser, means associated with said casing for circulating air through said lubricant comprising a conduit communicative with said manifold forinjecting lubricant v vapor into the top of said engine, spaced bosses on said casing, and means attached to said bosses and extended around said riser firmly securing said casing thereto.

4. Lubricating apparatus for 'an internal combustion engine comprising an oil reservoir having air inlet and outlet aperturesA therein, a transparent tube communicating at one end with said air inlet `and the reservoir and at the other end with'the bottom of said oil reservoir for injecting air below the oil level thereof, said tube being adapted to disclose the flow of air to the bottom of said reservoir whensaid engine is in operation and to indicate the quantity of oil in said reservoir when said engine is 40 not in operation.

Signed at Chicago this 3rd day of July,

CLAYTON BELKNAP PIERCE. WILLIAM CORMAC PIERCE. 

